We’ll still have some soccer talk, but in honor of the holiday season we’re going to ditch our usual format and have three straight hours of talk from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with Camp Good Days & Special Times founder, Gary Mervis, who’ll be in studio with Soccer Sam, myself and news director, James Weise. We’ll discuss a lot of the Camp’s history, its programs, how you can help, etc. I hope you can join us and share your holiday stories, too.

FLASH KEEP BUILDING: The Western New York Flash added three more players earlier this week and the WPS announced today its draft will be Jan. 14. The Flash, who’ve already announced they’ll take U.S. national team forward Alex Morgan with the 1st overall pick, will have the first pick in each of the four rounds and as an expansion team will have an extra pick at the end of the first round. They’ll have five picks in all. Of the three players signed earlier this week, McCall Zerboni, 24, and Candace Chapman, 27, should be the most significant. Zerboni started 15 times for Atlanta last year and Chapman started 21 times for league champion FC Gold Pride. She’s a Canadian international, like another Gold Pride alum and Flash player, Christine Sinclair. The third signee is backup goalie, Brittany Cameron, who also was with the Pride last year. That likely means the Flash have no interest in free-agent keeper and U.S. national team star, Hope Solo, to challenge Ashlyn Harris for the No. 1 job.

The demise of the Chicago Red Stars is another blow to WPS and I wonder if it was a surprise to Flash owner, Joe Sahlen. But I think that’s it. There will be six teams for 2011: WNY, Washington, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Sky Blue FC (based in the New York City area). Yes, it’s an East Coast heavy league but that should significantly reduce travel costs to California (adios to L.A. and the Bay Arena Gold Pride) and midwest (no more Chicago and St. Louis). Chicago says it plans to return in 2012 and there are reports that a team in California – it seems many good players I’ve been mentioning as new Flash signees are from the West Coast – may form for 2012, too. Since last January, teams in St. Louis, Los Angeles, Chicago and the San Francisco area, have folded. Not good. This will be a very critical season for WPS.

There are also reports that the Washington Freedom’s new owner is going to take a serious run at signing Brazilian star, Marta, change the team’s name and play half of its home games in Florida. Hmmm. I’d say if you’re going to do that, just move the team to Florida. If the D.C. area hasn’t done enough to keep the team, try Florida, but be forewarned that Florida, in general, hasn’t been great supporting pro soccer. Maybe Marta would be the X-factor.

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Jeff DiVeronica has covered professional soccer and the Rhinos for the Democrat and Chronicle since the team's inception in 1996. "Devo's Direct Kicks" takes aim mostly at Rochester soccer, but will also highlight the USL, MLS and U.S. national team play. Devo, his nickname since college at St. John Fisher, also hosts two weekly radio shows each Saturday on WHTK-AM/FM (1280/107.3 or www.whtk.com). "Kick This!" (11 a.m.) features soccer talk, while the Canandaigua National Bank High School Sports Show (noon) covers Section V sports. E-mail Jeff at jdiveron@DemocratandChronicle.com.
Or follow him on Twitter: @RocDevo